Port Askaig unveils three new releases
Independent Islay whisky label Port Askaig has revealed its first limited edition bottlings after the brand's revamp in October 2023.
The trio of new limited releases include a non-age statement cask-strength single malt and two age-statement expressions, 15- and 25-year-olds. The three new limited releases will complement the brand's permanent expression, Port Askaig eight-year-old single malt. Selected by Oliver Chilton, master blender at Elixir Distillers, the new limited expressions are said to capture the spirit of Islay and its whisky's peat smoke-driven character. Chilton said: "Port Askaig has always been our home to showcase the elegance of fruit-driven, smoky whisky. With this year’s releases, a wonderfully soft style was chosen for our 15-year-old, a result of using refill wood, where oxygen developed more herbal notes alongside the lemon and smoke. "For Cask Strength, we leaned into our casking programme, balancing peat with the richness of sherry casks for this ultimate expression of rich, fruity smoke.” Port Askaig Cask Strength #02-2024 is the second iteration of the brand's cask-strength expression, made with a new batch of more than 60 casks. Each batch shows the cask breakdown to enable drinkers to contrast, compare and explore each bottling. Bottled at 59.1% ABV, the second batch displays flavours of espresso coffee, light liquorice, dark chocolate, lemon, cacao nibs, and Islay peat with hints of cherry and dried raspberry. The cask-strength single malt has an RRP of £65.70 (US$85). Age statements Port Askaig 15-year-old is the latest age statement release, bringing together just 30 casks from a distillery on Islay’s north coast. Aged in traditional refill hogsheads, the spirit has been allowed to develop slowly, resulting in 'an elegant and characterful' whisky. The 15-year-old single malt is bottled at 50.5% ABV and retails for £112 (US$145). The last and oldest of the new trio, Port Askaig 25-year-old, has been bottled from small batches from an undisclosed Islay distillery. Casks for the release were selected for their flavours of tropical fruit and citrus, along with full-bodied texture, resulting in whisky displaying rich floral notes with leather and spice that complement the whisky's peaty character. Bottled at 45.8%, the 25-year-old single malt has a suggested retail price of £325 (US$421). All three new releases will be available globally from select retailers in April 2025. At the Scotch Whisky Masters 2024, Port Askaig Aged 8 Years and Cask Strength were recognised with a Gold medal each.
